Cannes, Citing Security Risks, Bans Full-Body ‘Burkinis’ From Its Beaches.

'The mayor of the French resort city of Cannes has barred women in full-body, head-covering swimsuits from bathing on public beaches there, essentially demanding that they either wear swimsuits that reveal more skin or stop going to the beach. The ban has elicited protests by French Muslims who say it is discriminatory.

That the debate is occurring on the Riviera, a vacation destination on the Mediterranean but also an anxious region after the terrorist attack on a Bastille Day celebration in the nearby seaside city of Nice, has only added to the controversy.

The ban comes amid heightened concerns about security after a series of terrorist attacks over the summer, but critics say it risks deepening rifts with France’s Muslims. It is the latest example of long-running tensions between a forceful — some would say inconsistent — commitment to secularism in France and the desire of many Muslims to express, through their attire, traditional values like modesty.

The mayor’s ordinance, which runs until Aug. 31, bars people in attire that is not “respectful of good morals and secularism” and that does not respect “rules of hygiene and security” from gaining access to the city’s public beaches and from swimming there. Offenders risk a fine of 38 euros, or about $42.'>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/13/world/europe/cannes-muslims-burkini-ban.html?